How many calories are in a dosa, plain or masala?
A masala dosa with the potato filling, sambar and coconut chutney comes to about 520 kcal. The dosa itself is 165 of that at home. A restaurant dosa is bigger and cooked in more oil. That is why the same dish gets published anywhere from 350 to 600.
The plate, as served
One medium dosa with a potato filling, a bowl of sambar, and two tablespoons of coconut chutney.
Where the calories come from
| Nutrient | Grams | Calories | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15g | 60 | 11% |
| Carbs | 81g | 324 | 60% |
| Fat | 17g | 153 | 28% |
| Fibre | 10g | counted within carbs | |
The ring is sized by calories, not grams: protein and carbs are 4 kcal a gram, fat is 9. Drawn by grams, fat would look like a sliver of what it actually contributes.
What is on the plate
| Dosa, plainOne medium dosa, about 90 g | 165 kcal |
| Potatoes, boiledAbout 180 g | 155 kcal |
| SambarA bowl, about 150 g | 110 kcal |
| Coconut chutneyTwo tablespoons, about 40 g | 90 kcal |
The same dish, several ways
This is where the calories actually move. Not the ingredient, the cooking.
- Two dosa685+165
The normal order once real hunger sets in.
- Ghee roast610+90
Two teaspoons of ghee brushed onto the tawa. It is what makes it taste like that.
- One medium dosa with a potato filling, a bowl of sambar, and two tablespoons of coconut chutney.As served520
- Plain dosa, no potato365-155
The filling is a whole boiled potato. It weighs more than the dosa itself.
Where each number comes from
Composition tables list ingredients, not dinners. There is no row anywhere for this plate, so it is built from its parts, and the preparation assumed for each part is written next to it, because that assumption is usually worth more calories than the ingredient.
| Component | Portion and preparation | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Dosa, plain | One medium dosa, about 90 gFermented rice and urad dal batter, cooked with about a teaspoon of oil. A restaurant dosa is usually larger and oilier. | 165 |
| Potatoes, boiled | About 180 gBoiled, nothing added. | 155 |
| Sambar | A bowl, about 150 gToor dal and vegetables with a light tempering. | 110 |
| Coconut chutney | Two tablespoons, about 40 gGround coconut with a tempering of oil and mustard seed. | 90 |
| Total | 520 | |
Sources: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN), USDA FoodData Central. Every figure is an estimate with a range around it, and is rounded to the nearest 5 kcal rather than pretending to a precision that does not exist.
Why you will see 300 to 700 kcal quoted for this
Restaurant dosas are larger and use more oil on the tawa than a home one made with a teaspoon.
Which is why this page shows the sum instead of asserting a total. Build the plate you actually eat and the number is yours rather than an average of strangers.
Build your own plateCommon questions
- How many calories are in a dosa, plain or masala?
- About 520 kcal for a masala dosa with sambar and chutney at home. A plain dosa on its own, no filling, is about 165. Restaurant versions run higher, commonly 600 or more.
- How many calories is a plain dosa?
- About 165 kcal for a medium one cooked with a teaspoon of oil. The potato filling adds roughly the same again.
- Is masala dosa healthy?
- Fermented batter, a vegetable filling and a lentil sambar is a decent build. The oil on the tawa is what varies, and it is the only thing worth asking about.
- How do I make a lower calorie dosa?
- Cook it on a well-seasoned pan with a brushed teaspoon of oil, not a ladle, and choose plain over ghee roast. That saves around 90 kcal.
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